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Old 08-17-2016, 09:58 PM   #51
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michaelf,

I'm glad you found the info I sent useful. As I said in my e-mail, I'm a fairly detailed guy....

As I have gone along I have found that this thread has developed a life of it's own. I'm learning a lot and I decided to do my best to document the experience, both for me to look back on and as a way to share with others.

Brian at SMB has assured me the delivery date is good so I have gone ahead and booked airline tickets and a place to stay in Austin the night before we pick up Flint. We will get there fairly early in the afternoon so I picked a place to stay that is close to the SMB office and adjacent to The Domain, what I am told is a large outdoor mall with plenty of shops, restaurants, and etc. to entertain us for the evening. As long as we are in a place where we can take a long walk with a decent steak to be found along the way all will be good!

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Old 08-20-2016, 01:51 PM   #52
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Fitz,

I like all the details. I'd rather have too much info than not enough.

A firm delivery date is something I can only dream of at this point....van hasn't even been built by Mercedes.

I'll have to make a trip down to for a drink and some blue cheese butter dip at El Charro after you get back from picking up your van. Keep us posted on the progress!
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Old 08-21-2016, 10:30 AM   #53
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End of Week 4 Build Update

Anybody who has ever built a house knows this stage. All of the rough services are installed, the insulation is in and covering most things up, the mess is cleaned up and finishes are about to be installed!

The view from the back, plywood and insulation.



Here is a close-up shot of the plywood on the floor with an insulation layer beneath. I'm not sure what the insulation material is, I will have to find out.



Here is a shot of the wall insulation with some wiring waiting for the next stage. Note that we went with the Extreme Insulation option (both for temperature control and for sound), thus there is another layer of insulation in the wall cavity behind what is shown.



These next three shots run left-to-right, looking up at the underside of the Penthouse rail and the wiring that runs all along and below it. I am impressed with the attention given to wire management, and while there is no clear shot of the hole cut for the PH opening, what can be seen is neat and clean.





Three more weeks before pick-up, the dream is finally becoming the reality!
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Old 08-21-2016, 05:22 PM   #54
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Awesome to watch your vision progress! Any idea how much height you give up inside the 144 low roof with the extra floor insulation and PH top install?
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Old 08-21-2016, 06:11 PM   #55
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JFlo,

I think the best way to answer your question is via these two pictures copied from the SMB website:

With the Penthouse lowered the inside height is 5'-3" in the back and 5'-10" in the front.



With the Penthouse raised the inside height is 8'-0".



I know there is an optional cold weather build detail that raises the floor 2 to 3 inches and provides for additional insulation and a chase for plumbing, but that isn't something we considered. As I have mentioned earlier in this thread, after being raised in Iowa, when I visit the snow I don't overstay my welcome!
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Old 08-21-2016, 06:21 PM   #56
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Very helpful. Thank you.
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Old 08-21-2016, 09:30 PM   #57
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Is the floor insulation in the picture standard from Sportsmobile?
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Old 08-21-2016, 09:38 PM   #58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccw3432 View Post
Is the floor insulation in the picture standard from Sportsmobile?
Yes it is.
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Old 08-24-2016, 10:01 PM   #59
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Sprinter Aluminess Front Bumper Receiver

Post #48 above speaks to the capacity of the receiver built into a rear Aluminess Sprinter bumper. I am also installing an Aluminess front bumper with the receiver, so of course I had to ask Kenny the following question:

As long as we are on the topic, what is the rating for the front receiver for the Sprinter winch bumper? I don't typically put much weight on it, but it's good to know the limits.


And Kenny's reply:


The front bumper receiver is capable of holding 150 pounds. It is good for bike racks and a little bit of extra storage, but I wouldn't put a motorcycle on the front.
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Old 08-25-2016, 09:55 PM   #60
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Forum member Snowy visited his (almost concurrent) build and he sent some pictures of my van that he took while he was there. Thank You Snowy!

Here is a shot of the rear Aluminess bumper ready to be installed. It's easy to find a picture of the front, this shows the attachment points and the detail from the back side.



And this is my wife's favorite picture taken so far. The side door is open and beckoning!

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